Pena Palace, one of the most romantic castles in the world, is nestled in Southern Portugal, on top of São Pedro de Penaferrim of Sintra.
The architecture, hues, and design of the Palace are truly magical, and when you’re in Sintra, you shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to experience the magic.
The National Palace of Pena is so unique that UNESCO classified the Palace and its landscape as a World Heritage Site in 1995.
This article shares everything you must know before booking your Pena Palace tickets.
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What to expect at Pena Palace
Pena Palace is known for its diverse and vibrant architecture. It combines various styles, including Romantic, Moorish, Gothic, and Manueline, creating a unique, fairy-tale-like appearance.
The palace is atop a hill in the Sintra Mountains, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Atlantic Ocean.
The exterior of Pena Palace is adorned with bright and vivid colors, featuring shades of red, yellow, and blue.
The park includes winding paths, lakes, and a variety of plant species. You can explore the gardens, discovering hidden viewpoints and decorative elements.
You’ll find the Chapel of Our Lady of Pena within the palace complex. The chapel is small yet charming, with decorative tiles and intricate details.
Around two million tourists visit Pena Palace in Sintra annually to witness its glorious history, art, architecture, and culture.
Buy This TicketWhere to book tickets
Tickets for the Pena Palace can be purchased online or in person at the attraction.
Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the attraction.
When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the ticket counters.
When you book early, you also get your preferred time slot.
Because some attractions sell a limited number of tickets, they may sell out during peak days. Booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointments.
How do online tickets work
Visit the Pena Palace ticket booking page, select your preferred date, time slot, and number of tickets, and buy the tickets right away.
After making the purchase, you will receive the tickets in your email.
Ticket printouts are not required.
You can enter the attraction by showing the e-ticket on your smartphone.
Pena Palace ticket prices
Pena Palace tickets cost €14 for visitors aged six years and above.
Children up to the age of five can enter the museum for free.
Reduced tickets for children six to 18 and seniors 65 and above are available onsite.
Pena Palace tickets
Pena National Palace ticket includes entry to –
- Pena Palace
- The Park
- Chalet of the Countess of Edla
With this admission ticket, you can visit this stunning palace straight out of a fairy tale.
This ticket also lets you explore the 500-acre gardens with exotic plant life, meandering streams, and hidden delights.
Even though visitors five years and below don’t need to pay to enter, you must select a free ticket for them.
Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket (6+ years): € 14
Infant Ticket (up to 5 years): Free entry
How to reach Pena Palace
Pena Palace is in São Pedro de Penaferrim, in the municipality of Sintra, on the Portuguese Riviera.
Address: Estrada da Pena, 2710-609 Sintra, Portugal. Get Directions
By Bus
Palacio da Pena is the closest bus stop, only 500 meters (one-third of a mile) from the Palace.
By Train
Sintra is the closest train station, located 3 km (almost two miles) from the palace.
You can take bus 434 from the Sintra Estação stop outside the train station to the Palacio da Pena stop.
You can walk the rest of the distance to the attraction in five minutes.
If you want an exotic experience, board a tuk-tuk from any bus or train station to Pena National Palace.
By Car
If you’re traveling by car, turn on your Google Maps and get started!
There is sufficient parking space near the palace to park your car.
Opening hours of Pena Palace
The Pena Palace is open from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm, while the Pena Palace Park runs from 9 am to 7 pm.
It is open for visitors daily, so whether it is the weekend or weekday, you can visit with your friends and family and explore the heritage of Lisbon.
The last entry is an hour before closure.
How long does National Palace of Pena take
A complete tour of Pena Palace takes around two hours.
The garden and lawn of the Palace are so beautiful that visitors spend most of their time outside.
If you’re a history buff and love to spend time at heritage sites, you can surely devote more time to walking through the Pena National Palace and enjoying its royalty.
Best time to visit Pena Palace
The best time to visit the Park and National Palace of Pena is as soon as it opens at 9.30 am.
With the crowd yet to enter, you can easily get a parking spot and explore the Palace more peacefully.
If you prefer a less crowded experience, consider visiting during weekdays and avoid weekends and public holidays.
Must see highlights of Pena Palace
Eight aspects of the Sintra Palace stand out, and we recommend you spend time exploring and understanding them.
Unique architecture
National Palace of Pena is a blend of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, New-Romanesque, and Oriental styles such as Neo-Moorish and Indo-Gothic.
The unification of different architectural styles makes the palace unique.
The Pena Park
Pena Park is the most different and significant part of the Palace and is spread over 200 hectares of land.
The park has many walking paths, secret paths, pavilions, lakes, ponds, and exotic trees like:
- Sequoias from America
- Gingkos from China
- Cryptomeria from Japan
- Ferns from Australia
- Succulents from Africa
- Ferns and tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand.
Dining Room
The dining room oak furniture is so royal and gorgeous that you’d feel like having dinner at the table.
It contains a 16th-century vaulted ceiling with Manueline-style ribbing.
Chamber of King Carlos
Visit the chamber of King Carlos located on the lower floor of the Manueline cloister, which served as the leisure and workspace of the king.
The fabric painting on walls by King Carlos depicts nymphs and fawns in the Park of Pena.
Palace Terraces
The Palaces terraces are the jewel in the crown that gives you a fantastic view of the Sintra.
The Queen’s terrace, directly accessed from Queen Amélia’s private chambers, is the showstopper.
Keep an eye out for sundial and solar quadrant at the Queen’s terrace that distinguishes the Queen terrace from that of other terraces in the Palace.
Cloister
Visit the open-air cloister, where once the monks lived.
The cloister has ancient Azulejo tiles embedded on the walls and blue-white marbles that elevate the beauty of the space.
The Chapel
The chapel of Our Lady of Pena looks as new as it was built in the 16th century.
The chapel retains its gothic vaulted ceilings and azulejo tiles on the walls.
Bedroom of Ferdinand II
Step into the bedroom of Ferdinand II and taste the exoticism inspired by the Islamic heritage in Portuguese culture.
The decoration in painted plaster with a Neo-Mudéjar style, dating to 1882, and the work of Domingos Meira is worth looking at for hours.
FAQs about the Pena Palace
Here are some frequently asked questions about Pena Palace.
Can I purchase tickets in advance?
Yes, it is possible to purchase Pena Palace tickets in advance online. This can be a convenient option to avoid long queues, especially during peak tourist seasons.
When was Pena Palace built?
The construction of Pena Palace began in the 19th century and was completed in 1854. Ferdinand II of Portugal commissioned it on the site of a former monastery.
What architectural styles are represented in Pena Palace?
Pena Palace blends architectural styles, including Romanticism, Moorish, Gothic, and Manueline. The diverse styles contribute to the palace’s unique and fairy-tale-like appearance.
Can I take photos inside the Pena Palace?
Photography is generally allowed in outdoor areas and gardens. However, there may be restrictions on photography inside certain rooms.
Is Pena Palace accessible to people with mobility issues?
The palace is situated on a hill, and while transportation options are available for those with mobility issues, not all areas may be wheelchair accessible. Accessible paid transfer running every 15 min between the park entrance and the palace.
I absolutely loved the National Palace of Pena! It’s incredibly photogenic and fascinating inside—everything looks like it was just used yesterday. There’s also a charming café where we stopped for soup and coffee, waiting for the rain and wind to pass. Luckily, it did, and we got to explore even more of the area. Visiting here is an absolute must if you’re in Portugal!